Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport. Allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, standing and on the ground. In 1980 CV Productions, Inc. created the first regulated MMA league in the United States named Tough Guy Contest.

But the real birth of MMA, is done with the valetudo (developed in Brazil from the 1920s) brought` to the United States by the Gracie family in 1993 (founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship) The first documented use of the name "mixed martial arts" was in a review of UFC in 1993.

Few are the basic rules of mma. The main: no eye strokes, no groin shots, no blows to the back of the head or spine. Limited protections: mouthguard, jockstrap boxing, gloves with fingers uncovered. From this it follows a fight much like the real fight. All martial arts can give useful techniques to fight in MMA, and, of course, the physical preparation, the strength and resistance are required. The risk to get hurt is always to keep in mind, if you undertake this activity, especially in the agonistic version.

Being so wide the spectrum of possible techniques, it is difficult to give technical indications that have an absolute value. But experience has shown that usually the combat of this type often resolves with the techniques of the lever joint, chokes, or, more in general, ground combat. So sports like BBJ are certainly good, as technical basis, much more than sport with shots (kicks and punches, for example) Generally, when the fighting is free from rules and restrictions, it inevitably ends in grappling, exchanged the first shots (usually, not decisive)

A particular form of mma is the "cage fight". That is, the fighting in a cage (often octagonal), as a ring.

VALETUDO The vale tudo was born in Brazil by the Gracie Brothers, which evolve the Brazilian ju jitsu in something more interesting from a commercial point of view, and useful for a real fight. Matches that develop in Rio de Janeiro become famous all over the world, and attract fighters from: ju jitsu, judo, karate, boxing, capoeira, and many other fighting styles. The principle of "worth all" is spreading, becoming the second most popular sport in Brazil after football. Over time, the UFC was created, with some limitations in the hardness of combat. And the fighting circuit "pride" that allows everything except of course fingers in the eyes, blows to the genitals and take to the hair.